THE PERQUIMANS WEEKLY
Volume 37, No. 35 USPS 428-080 Hertford, Perquimans County, N.C., Thursday, September 3^1981 20 CENTS
Perquimans corn harvest begins
- with yield higher , price lower
The corn yield is much lower than
anticipated, county extension agent Bill
fester stated after the first full week of
clear weather when fanners in several
areas of the county began to go into their
fields.
"The yield may prove slightly higher
than last year when we averaged 73
*' bushels per acre, but the price (of corn)
is running 60 to 70 cents lower than last
year," Jester said.
The county agent sees the outlook for
the future as "not good..with prices
turning around" and away from the
needed return to the growers. Storing for
a later and better market price now looks
bleak, he said.
> Another factor for the farmer this
* season "is a year when the cost of
production has tripled, while the corn
yield is down because of heat and dry
Weather.
According to Jester, the county
growers are producing yields at least 25
bushels below normal, while, faced with
price predictions below 2.50 and 2.90, he
needs to produce 95 to 100 bushels to
break even.
>> "For most farmers in the county, the
cost of production is much higher than in
the Coastal Plains and Piedmont,
because we aim for higher yields," he
explained. "We fertilise heavily and aim
for a crop in excess of 100 bushels. Every
farmer's cost is a little different, but on
the average, we're going to need a much
better crop than we've got."
Grain Dealer* Report High and Low
Yield*
In the Chapanoke area Jimmy Onley of
Towe-Pike reports 25 and 30 bushel yields
by some farmers. "In this area, it's
going to be hard to pay bills on that sort
of yield.
"The Chapanoke-Ohisko area has had
a dry streak two or three years with low
yields. Yet, go four miles distant and a
grower may have 120-130 bushel yields of
corn. It all depends on the amount of
moisture (during the season)," Onley
said.
Corn planted earlier this season is not
maturing as early in the Chapanoke
area, according to Onley. Some farmers
are reported slow to harvest because of
the wet soil, but larger growers are
trying to harvest. "If there is more rain,
corn could go down in the field, adding
more loss," he commented.
At the Belvidere Farmers Exchange
Dan Nixon reports growers just begin
ning to harvest, "not even started yet."
He sees an average of 60-70 bushels for
the area, but "probably worse in part
s... some low guys, 30-40."
He reports Belvidere growers as being
"pretty disappointed. What hurt it was
the excessive heat in June. Fortunately,
we have a good soybean crop. It looked
like a good peanut crop, but rains
definitely have hurt the peanuts."
Moody Harrell reports a variation of 30
to 150 bushel yields in the New Hope
Woodville area. "It depends on how the
season hit you, rain was good for some,
others didn't have any. With harvest 25
percent complete, the same farmer
working land two miles apart is ex
periencing the wide variation from 30 to
100 bushel yields," Harrell said. He
added that it was hard to project what
was ahead, "what looks like 100 may end
up 75."
At Hertford Supply Broughton Dail
said the season was too early for
reporting yields, "it just hasn't started
here."
Cable television available soon
Albemarle Cable TV "hopes to begin
?baking installations" in Hertford by
October 1, Don Vicini, vice president for
system development for Compass
Corporation of Erie, Pa., said Monday.
Vicini represents the parent company
J* developing the area system and is in the
area for conferences and work sessions
' with Hertford Mayor and Town Manager
BUI Cox. Hertford will provide the work
force for pole conversions (along with
Carolina Telephone Company) and other
construction necessary for bringing the
cable into the area for home viewers. The
town will be reimbursed for all labor and
costs.
, "At the present time we are doing
? make-ready work for Hertford con
versions, getting the poles ready so we
can attach our cables to the poles,"
Vicini said. Upon completion in "two or
three weeks" the company will begin
attaching cables to the existing poles,
enabling Albemarle Cable TV to extend
its services to the Hertford area,
"making installs in area homes similar
to those provided by the telephone
company to their subscribers," Vicini
J said.
Mayor Cox views the availability of
Cable TV for Hertford as a progressive
and beneficial service. "The town will
get revenue from it and the residents will
have access to the benefits of cable TV,"
he said.
The town of Hertford passed a Cable
TV ordinance after a Compass Cor
poration representative appeared before
the town board in January. At that time
the Pennsylvania corporation had been
awarded the cable franchise for the town
of Edenton and a request to extend the
service to Hertford was made to the
board.
The town will eart some $3,000 a year
from the corporation in franchise fees
and pole rentals. The fee consists of 3
percent of the corporation's gross
revenue, as well as $5 a year rent for
each telephone pole utilized. The system
is designed to connect to telephone lines.
Choice of Services
The services offered to Hertford
subscribers will be identical to those on
the Edenton system, Vicini said. Monthly
costs for the services range from $6.95 to
124.85.
Four tiers of services include a four
star selection, including 23 channels.
Home Box Office (HBO), Cinemax
(movies with no commercials), Cable
News Network, Black Network, ESPN
Sports, WTBS-Atlanta and other major
cable stations; three star for $18.85,
including all of the foregoing except
Cinemax; two star for $9.85 with
everything but Cinemax and HBO; one
star and HBO, with 11 channels, $17.95;
and one star with 11 channels, $6.95.
In addition, there will be a public ac
cess channel with local weather, which
also can be sot aside for any local non
profit announcements or messages. The
system also has access for emergency
over-ride. "In the event of a local
emergency-hurricane or other similar
event, designated persons will be given
access to over-ride any channel, where
they can be viewed and also relay their
message," Vicini said.
The business office for Albemarle
Cable TV is located on the old route, 17
Business North, in Edenton. Jay Gear is
the systems manager for the Hertford
Eden ton area.
Town Energy Decision due Oct . 1
The final decision to leave VEPCO and
join with the newly created N. C. Power
Agency No. 3 in part ownership of nine
CPJtL generating plants faces the
j Hertford town board and other area
municipalities meeting here last Wed
nesday night.
The decision, which if favorable for the
switchover could generate $120 million
for the town of Hertford in savings in the
next 20 years, must be made by October
1st. Before that time an ordinance would
have to be adopted by the Board and a
I
(Continued on page 8)
Christensens
join firm
Newcomers to Hertford are John and
Judy Christensen, son and daughter-in
law of Mr. and Mrs. Chris Christensen,
owners of Darden's Department Store.
The young couple, now residing at 116
Front St. with their 20-month-old
daughter, Amanda, have joined the staff
of Darden's, founded by John's grand
father, the late Vivian N Darden, in 1910.
The announcement was made this week.
John will become manager replacing
William Stallings, who died last year.
Mrs. Rosa Stallings will continue to be
buyer and manager for the women's
department. Judy will be employed in
the bookkeeping department, replacing
Mrs. Thelma Riddick, who is retiring.
Young Christensen, a 1972 graduate of
NCSU in mechanical engineering, has
been employed in Charlotte since that
time with the Duff-Norton Company.
Making the decision to change careers
and residence was a difficult one, but
childhood memories of Hertford and the
continuing at the family business were a
strong influence, he said.
He remembers best when his grand
father, who was fire chief at that
time, "would let me ring the bell on the
fir* track. He would pick me up and put
me in the driver's seat." Also remem
bered through the years were the long
wafts through the back lots along the
river and the sound.
It wfll be a new lifestyle for the new
Hertford family-a new work for both
parents and a new world to share with
Waiting for Sept. 7
Bob Reed, local oil dealer and one of five
bowhunters in Perquimans County, has
spotted his deer well in advance and
probably will on this high perch again in
the early hours on Labor Day, when the
deer season begins for bow hunters in
North Carolina. For more information on
Bow Hunters, see Joe Lothian's special
article on the People Page, inside.
(Photo by Mildred Allen)
Hertford set for phone increase
Hertford and Perquimans County
telephone subscribers are scheduled to
pay the top dollar in an increased cost for
services if a proposed Carolina
Telephone and Telegraph rate hike is
approved by the N. C. Utilities Com
mission.
An increase of $5.20 to the current
residential rate of $10.30 for basic ser
vices, a total cost of $15.50, is not ex
pected to become effective until next
year after public hearings are held and
the commission rules on the request.
Hertford business subscribers, now
paying $25.80 for basic services, would
pay an additonal $13 for a total cost of
$38.80.
CT&T filed a request with the state
utilities commission for an overall rate
increase of about $47.2 million on
Thursday.
"If the request is granted, it would
mean an increase of $3.40 for our
smallest exchanges to $4.35 for our
largest exchanges for basic local
residential service," said Ted P.
Williamson, vice president for Carolina
Telephone.
For the Albemarle area, an average of
about $4.35 will represent an increase in
the base rate, plus an average of $1 to be
added to Extended Area Service fees.
Also receiving the top increase of $5.20
in the propoaed rate* are Coin jock,
Edenton, Moyock ( who will pay ten
cents more in a total cost of $15.80),
Elisabeth City. ShOoh, South Mills,
Weekjville and Woodville.
Williamson said that the company's
request includes increases in basic local
service rates, installation and change
charges, extended area service rates and
other supplemental service and equip
ment rates and charges.
He also said there may be an increase
in statewide long distance rates and if
that increase should be effective prior to
the decision on local rate increases, the
local increase could be cut.
"Revenues from long distance service
have paid nearly one half of the cost of
home telephone service for the past 20
years and any additional long distance
revenues will reduce the size of our rate
increase request," Williamson stated.
The new rate request comes just four
months after a $18.4 million rate increase
was granted to the utility.
CT&T "got only half as much as it
needed in its last request," Williamson
said. "The company proposed a $25.5
million increase in August 1980, and later
reported that its new revenue needs had
grown to $36.2 million annually by the
time the commission heard its case in
January 1981."
Williamson cited the commission's
action in cutting the rate increase
"almost in half' before giving its last
approval as the reason for the current
request following so closely.
"We documented thoroughly that we
needed increased revenues when our
costs were rising rapidly, the cost of
borrowing money was getting higher and
our long distance revenues were
decreasing," he said.
The commission's April 1981 order
stated that CT&T should be allowed to
earn 11.09 percent on its service in
vestment, but the company contends that
the increases allowed were insufficient
and that the allowable return is below
what investors expect today.
Williamson said the Federal Com
munications Commission (FCC) recently
authorized AT&T to earn an overall rate
of return of 12.75 percent and more than
17 percent on stockholder investment. He
contends that investments in the smaller
companies are "clearly more risky and
require somewhat higher returns."
Competition in the long distance and
telephone equipment market was
another reason cited for requesting in
creased rates.
According to Williamson, CT&T plans
to spend more than $96 million in con
struction of telecommunications
facilities in 1981 and $116 million in 1982.
The Tarboro based company serves
some 560,000 customers in 50 counties of
North Carolina.
Quiet holiday scheduled
Hertford apparently is set for a quiet
Labor Day weekend with no special
events planned.
Town, state and federal offices will be
closed and there will be no mail delivery.
Regular meetings for the Board of
County Commissioners, the Hertford
* !
Town Board and the Board of Education,
scheduled for the first Monday of the
month, will be held Tuesday, Sept.8.
Do* to the Labor Day holiday, THE
PERQUIMANS WEEKLY la asking all
news contributors aad advertisers to
bare their copy ia as early as possible.
laJ m J, , ,i|?f ? 4a
lug Mverufen to
tarty as possible.
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